Raise Your Rates Without Losing a Single Client
An annual system for reviewing your rates, adjusting for rising costs, and communicating the change without spooking your caseload.
Rates that don’t move while costs do are a slow leak, not a stable decision. This is a five-step annual review: check your current numbers, research your market, adjust for what actually changed, plan how you’ll communicate the increase, and track what happens after. Run it every January, starting with the review for 2026.
1 Review Your Current Numbers
2 Check Your Market
3 Adjust for Rising Costs
4 Plan & Communicate Your Rate Change
5 Track & Review
This applies whether you’re a therapist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist — solo practitioners and group practice owners alike.
Questions we get a lot
30–60 days is standard. It gives clients time to plan, and it gives you time to update your informed consent forms, website, and intake paperwork before the new rate actually takes effect.
Compare your rates to therapists with similar credentials and experience in your specialty and area, and check whether your income has kept pace with rising costs — rent, software, insurance, CEUs. If costs rose and your rate didn’t, you’re effectively taking a pay cut every year you wait.
Some attrition is possible, but a well-communicated, reasonably sized increase with adequate notice rarely empties a caseload. Clients who leave over a modest rate change were often already a poor long-term fit on price. Monitoring retention after the change tells you quickly whether it landed reasonably.
At least once a year, typically in January, with a lighter check-in quarterly to see if workload or expenses have shifted enough to warrant an earlier look.
A rate increase lands better with real numbers behind it.
If you want a second opinion on what your rates should actually be, we can go through the numbers with you.
Disclaimer: This checklist is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. While we make every effort to keep the content accurate and up to date, federal and state laws and regulations can change without notice. Decisions based on this information should be made in consultation with a licensed CPA or attorney familiar with your specific situation. Leichter Accounting Services is not liable for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the contents of this checklist.